Nelson Mandela University’s Bird Street Gallery in Central marked a milestone on the evening of 27 August when it opened its latest exhibition, Trace and Transition. The showcase, which began at 5:30pm, commemorated the gallery’s 10th anniversary and featured an array of creative works by staff members from the Department of Visual Arts in the Faculty of Humanities.
Curator Jonathan van der Walt described the anniversary exhibition as a significant moment for the University.
“It reflects the many dimensions of the gallery,” he explained. “Once a colonial and heritage building, it was reimagined as a contemporary gallery space – one that functions not only as an exhibition venue but also as a centre for teaching and research. The theme Trace and Transition reflects the layers of history as well as the vision of progress.”
He highlighted how the Department of Visual Arts continued to evolve. “There has been a continuous flow of new voices, both staff and students, alongside curriculum changes. We wanted this exhibition to capture those journeys and transformations.”
The official opening featured an address by Professor Pieter Binsbergen, Head of the Department, as well as a short speech by Van der Walt. Guests were welcomed to enjoy refreshments after the formalities.
Image by Gillian McAinsh
Spanning ceramics, textiles, painting, sculpture, photography, fashion, digital media, and video, the exhibition also presented collaborative projects between staff members.
Although the Bird Street Gallery itself was relatively young, having opened in 2015 within the Eendrag Building (formerly Fleming House), it drew on a much longer artistic legacy. Nelson Mandela University inherited the country’s oldest existing art school, first founded as the Port Elizabeth Art School in 1882. Initially located in the Athenaeum Building in Athol Fugard Terrace (then Belmont Terrace), the school later moved into Bird Street during the establishment of the University of Port Elizabeth in the 1950s.
“Re-imagined Ńwenda”, shown by Jonathan van der Walt;
Image by Gillian McAinsh
Today, while the School of Visual and Performing Arts is primarily situated at North Campus in Summerstrand, the Bird Street precinct remains a vibrant centre for arts and music, housing both historic buildings and postgraduate programmes.
Trace and Transition was scheduled to run until 8 October 2025, with weekday visiting hours from 9am to 4pm.